May 10, 2022 - Straight White American Jesus
01:06:09
| 
| Time | Text |
|---|---|
| Axis Mundy | |
| Axis Mundy I thought a lot about the end of the world after I converted to evangelicalism. | |
| Most mornings I wondered if Jesus would return that day, maybe at lunch or during a quiet moment in the afternoon when everyone was rushing to fifth period. | |
| The idea of the end of the world both enthralled and terrified me. | |
| I wanted Jesus to return so I could go home with him to paradise. | |
| But that would mean eternal damnation for those who didn't know him, including many of my friends and family. | |
| It motivated me to proselytize to anyone I came into contact with. | |
| From my brothers, to my cousins, to complete strangers at school or outside the local movie theater. | |
| When I think back to that version of myself, the one who awkwardly asked unwitting teenagers about their eternal salvation, Or jammed religion into casual conversations with second cousins at family functions. | |
| I cringe. | |
| It's hard to remember that strong-willed teenager without wincing. | |
| The one who eschewed cares for social norms in order to complete the mission of telling every person possible about the imminent end of all things. | |
| In some ways, however, I'm proud that I was ready to live out my beliefs, as misguided as they now seem. | |
| The end of the world may be militant, but my actions were based on a sincere belief that every human being needed the love of God in order to be saved. | |
| Even if I now view my evangelism as intrusive and anti-pluralist, it's not impossible for me to see it as a sincere reaction to the imminent end of days. | |
| My goal was not to rule the world. | |
| It was to save as many as I could from the end of it. | |
| As it turns out, the end of the world doesn't work like that for everyone. | |
| Many see it as an opportunity to gain power, wealth, and prestige. | |
| The fires destroying civilization are, for some, the blazes clearing a path to a new way of life. | |
| One where they will seize control and live as gods, or at least the representatives of God on Earth. | |
| The apocalypse, in other words, is the new beginning some are waiting for. | |
| The portal to a new world order. | |
| Thanks for listening to this free sample of The Orange Wave. | |
| My name is Brad Onishi, the author and creator of the series. | |
| I want to invite you to head over to our show notes and hit the link if you'd like to continue listening to The Orange Wave. | |
| I know a paywall isn't something you want to see, and I get it. | |
| But I poured my heart and soul into making this docuseries, and we're an indie podcast. | |
| We're self-funded, self-produced. | |
| We do everything we can on our own to do this work. | |
| And so, it's a nominal fee, and your contribution will help us make more of these docuseries, continue to do our show a couple times a week. | |
| And simply keep an eye on everything that's happening with the religious right, Christian nationalism, and so many other things. | |
| If it's just not possible, send us an email and we'll get something worked out so you will have access and be able to continue to listen to this series. | |
| Thanks again. | |
| We appreciate your support. | |
| Thank you. | |
| Whether you want to become a demigod, like Jeffrey Epstein, Vladimir Putin, or Donald Trump, or whether you want to recreate the nation in God's name, it seems your priorities are first to destroy so you can rebuild. | |
| This, for me, is the simplest and scariest explanation of why conservative Christians continue to be Trump's most ardent supporters. | |
| Encompassing debates about abortion, judges, religious liberty, and civil rights is an instinct that it's better to tear it all down in order to start over. | |
| To destroy everything in order to retake power. | |
| To set the republic ablaze, watch it burn, and plan your takeover. | |
| All of this is preferable than to work within the parameters of democracy and pluralism. | |
| They'd both rather take the American ball and go home than play with the rest of us. | |
| I am the chosen one. | |
| Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it. | |
| My name is Brad Onishi. | |
| Thanks for listening to The Orange Wave, a history of the religious right since 1960, a series by straight white American Jesus. | |
| On our next and final episode, I'll provide a retrospective on the series and my views of Orange County as they stand today. | |
| You can find our show at Straight White JC or me at Bradley Onishi on Twitter. | |
| You can find our Patreon and PayPal at straightwhiteamericanjesus.podomatic.com. | |
| Thanks for listening. |
Export Selection